Mercy
by ClairvoyantDreamer1011
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia considers her life perfect as it is. She has a drop-dead gorgeous police chief for a husband, a job that she loves, and a lovely new assistant who used to be her high-school bully. Oh, and did I mention that her new assistant used to date her husband? *31/12/16: FINISHED REWRITING THE CHAPTERS YAY*
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

When she had packed all the artifacts that made up their personal history into liquor store boxes, the house became a strictly feminine place. She stood with her hands on her hips, stoically accepting the absence of the tangle of fishing poles, the old dartboard from a pub, the silky patterned ties that sat on the base of one box like a mass of snakes.

True, without these things, the house looked more like something out of a home furniture magazine than a home, but that was to be expected. What's a home when there's no one to come back to, anyway?

Shaking her head, she continued to pack away the matching mugs hand-lettered with their names, and the video camera they'd bought for their last anniversary, and a framed sampler some relative had stitched to commemorate their wedding.

She thanked Mavis for the unseasonably warm day, in _January_ no less. When it hit 50 degrees in the shallows of January, people came out of their houses and the more people venture outside, the more people there would be for the sale.

Setting down the boxes that she had packed under the elm tree in their – _no, it's not theirs anymore_ – front yard, she neatly arranged the items on top of them. She emptied his bedroom drawers and organized the things she found in smaller cartons.

She went back into the house for a final quick check, since curious neighbors were already milling on the front lawn. The living room seemed empty now that his old leather wing chair was sitting outside along with his ancestral paraphernalia. Overall, the house looked much like her apartment had eight years ago, before she had met him.

There was only one thing left in the house that reminded her of him. It was the panel of stained glass, the one that he'd given her just a few months before. She stopped in her bedroom doorway, staring as the sun filtered through the glass and burned the colors and pattern onto the mattress.

She remembered the day he gave it to her clear as day. She'd held it up to the light, turning it back and forth, until his hands had come over hers, stilling. 'Be careful,' he had said. 'It's fragile. See the soft lead? It bends. It can break.'

She wondered why she had not perceived that conversation the same way she did now: as a shrill and distant warning.

Instead, she had smiled at him, smiled and said that she knew this; that of course, she understood.

Glancing around her, she took a quick calculation of what had sold, what still remained. The box in her lap held over seven hundred dollars at last count. The fishing tackle and his bamboo fly rod had been among the first things to go. All his suits were gone. The head nursery teacher had bought every last uniform, saying that the 4-year-olds loved to play policeman, and wouldn't this be a wonderful addition to the dress-up corner?

At ten past five, she sat down on her folding chair. She remembered reading once about tribal Indian societies centuries earlier, in which women had the power to divorce their husbands simply by stacking his shoes outside a tipi. She pressed her knees together and tried not to think about the sun that was blinding her eyes and giving her a migraine.

Her husband drove up at 6:52. 'Hi,' he said. 'I made good time.'

 _Ha, as if, he usually got off from work by 5._

She didn't say anything.

He looked at the overturned boxes, the pile of unsold underwear to the left of her feet, the box on her lap. 'Getting rid of stuff? It was a good day for a garage sale.'

She did not turn to face him as he gave her a strange look, wondering why she didn't give her usual cheery _'welcome home!'_ , and walked into the house. She counted how many breaths it took before he thundered down the stairs and out the door, to stand in front of her. His tan face was red with anger and his usual, spiky pink locks (It looked more and more ridiculous how she could have found _pink_ hair attractive eight years ago.) seemed to be aflame.

'I'm sorry,' she said coolly, coming to her feet. She gestured gracefully around the lawn – her heiress side resurfacing – while looking at her _husband._ (she nearly hissed the term in her mind)

'There's nothing left.'

Willing herself to walk away from the lawn and onto the street after those last words, she did not allow herself to look back.


	2. Chapter 1

Hi guys! Clary here. Here's the new chapter for _Mercy_! And a shout-out to all the amazing people who faved/followed my story. This is my first fanfic, so I really appreciate your support! :) Thanks, you guys. You're the best!

 _skelekc - To answer your question, you have to wait and see to find out. ;)_

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to the almighty Hiro Mashima. The plot of this story is also based on Jodi Picoult's** ** _Mercy_** **.**

* * *

_Chapter 1_

When Lucy Heartfilia was in high school, she was not the most popular girl in her class. ( _Although she could have been, if she wasn't so 'into books and good grades', like they say._ ) She was nowhere even close.

That honor belonged to Lisannna Strauss, the sister of the part-time model – Mirajane Strauss, who had a cute, platinum blonde pixie-cut hairstyle, and not to mention her dazzling sapphire blue eyes that captured the hearts of nearly every male in school.

But her good looks did nothing to help her overly-inflated ego and stuck-up attitude, though. She was the ultimate stereotype for cheerleaders all across the globe – beyond gorgeous on the outside, but rotten to the core.

How rotten? Well, rotten enough to stuff _someone_ 's locker with cow dung. And, also low enough to trash _someone_ 's English homework which _she worked on days end for, thank you very much_.

Unfortunately, she had the hots for the school's heart-throb, Natsu Dragneel who happens to be Lucy's crush for the longest time. And what's even _more_ unfortunate is that rumor has it that he felt the same for her. _Her_ , referring to _Lisanna_.

And so, it was no great surprise when Lisanna Strauss became Natsu's steady girlfriend in the fall of 1997, although Natsu was a high school senior and Lisanna was a freshman. They were both undeniably beautiful, Lisanna in a collectible doll sort of way, and Natsu towering over nearly everyone else in the school, his wide, strong shoulders and bright shock of hair always easy to spot.

Funny how it was his hair that she fell in love with first. She used to sit in the school library bent over a slim volume of Kemu Zaleon's poetry, waiting for him to come through the hall. He came in every day during the period she worked at the counter with her best friend, Levy.

She'd straighten the shelves behind the spot where he was sitting down, imagining her fingers weaving through that ridiculous – _yet very attractive_ – pink hair. And at the end of the period, she would pick up the books the he'd left behind and tuck them in their Dewey decimal places, trying to hold on to the heat Natsu's hands had placed on the covers.

As much as Lucy would like to believe that he'd come in at that _very_ period, when she was working, was just to see her; the truth was that Natsu Dragneel did not know Lucy Heartfilia existed for most of the time they had lived in the same neighborhood. She was far too quiet, far too plain to attract his attention.

But, who cares? Looking back to the present, _poor little Lucy who used to get picked last in gym class_ is now one of Ishgar's most well-known authors, and is currently married to high-school crush and Magnolia's one-and-only Police Chief – yes, you guessed right – Natsu Dragneel.

Snapping herself back to reality, she continued her way to Natsu's office at the police station. It didn't take long for her to reach the lobby of the station, seeing as the flower shop that she opened was only a few blocks away. Yes, you saw that right, in addition to being a renowned author, she's a florist too.

Peeking through the window separating his office and the lobby, she saw that he was in, not out on patrol, and decided now was as good as any to bring him the new arrangement of flowers she made. Absently, she ran her fingers over the sweet chestnut and barberry foliage that made up the greens in the piece she would give to Natsu.

Lucy knew the language of flowers – the idea that every bloom stands for some quality of human nature. Bouquets sent from the shop for the arrival of a baby were stuffed with daisies, for innocence; and moss, for maternal love. Valentine's arrangements had roses, of course, but also lilies for purity, heliotrope for devotion, and forget-me-nots for true love.

To Natsu, she often sent designs that were full of messages she knew he would not understand. She eyed her latest work critically, nodding over the bulk of tulips which made up the bulk of the piece.

In Persia, a man would give a tulip to his beloved to show that as red as the flower was, he was on fire with his love; as black as it's center, his heart was smoldering like a coal. It would be a perfect match for her husband's fiery personality.

She filled out the vase with MIchaelmas daisies, China asters, and fire thorn. And then, as she always did for Natsu's arrangements, she added as many sprigs of purple clover as she could without making the lines of the flowers seem overblown. Clover, if you're wondering, simply meant, _remember me._

Walking through the sliding glass door, she smiled warmly at Erza, who was on the telephone. Erza Scarlet was the head secretary of the Magnolia Police Department and was also a close friend of Lucy's. Erza was normally on a good mood – though Natsu and the rest of the crew would strongly deny that she was _never on a good mood_ – but today the redhead seemed irritated. By the caller, Lucy presumed.

Waving her hand distractedly at Lucy to tell her he wasn't in a meeting, Erza clenched her teeth, 'No,' she was saying firmly to the caller. 'We don't have _any_ animals to give out for adoption _at all_. That would be the animal shelter downtown.'

Lucy tried to hide her giggles through her hand as she looked at Erza's exasperated expression. She set the tall vase in the center of the main desk, where Erza was currently seated and still trying to convince the caller that _no, they did not sell dog food either,_ and then walked to Natsu's office.

She gave a quick knock and pushed the door open with her shoulder. He was asleep, his head pillowed on his arms on top of his desk. Smiling, Lucy crept around his chair, running her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck.

Natsu let out a content sigh and leaned his head towards her fingers. She bent close to his ear to whisper. 'While justice sleeps,' she teased.

One of his eye's lazily cracked open, a smile playing at his lips as he enveloped himself in his wife's warm and soothing presence, breathing in her flowery scent. 'Hey,' he greeted, not wanting this moment to end too soon.

Sure, he loves the times they spend teasing and just having fun, but _this_ was what he loves most about _them_ – being able to be comfortable with each other without speaking, being able to just lie there knowing that what they have is always enough, _more than enough_.

Lucy smiled. 'I brought you flowers.'

Natsu raised his head, groaning. 'I thought I told you you don't have to do that.'

'I like to.'

Natsu snorted. 'This is a police station, not a hotel lobby,' he pointed out. 'People who are arrested aren't much interested in interior design. They won't even notice.'

Immediately, Lucy tried not to flinch.

At the same time, Natsu was internally punching himself for making that mistake. He knew better than anybody that Lucy's dad was arrested for covering up his daughter's crime (which Natsu firmly denies since she wasn't aware of what she did) when she was only eight. His last words to Lucy before he was taken away were, 'Don't forget my flowers.'

Jude Heartfilia was sentenced to death a few months later for the accused murder of his wife, Layla Heartfilia. He never pleaded not-guilty, never asked for another re-trial.

He was a policeman. And very much like Natsu, he fell in love with Lucy's mother in a flower shop. He would always bring flowers to decorate the very police station Natsu was in, claiming that it would be the last source of joy for the criminals they put away. He was the sun Lucy's life revolved around, and the day he was sentenced had ultimately been the last straw for Lucy.

Only a few years older than her, Natsu – who was ten – had watched from the sidelines of the court with his own father (who was Jude's loyal confidant), watching as the girl with the golden smile broke into a million pieces.

Still silently berating himself for slipping up and reminding Lucy of her dead father, he noticed that Lucy was staring at him worriedly. He froze up, enraptured by her chocolate, doe-like eyes. He could feel the silence wrapping around the both of them, slowly suffocating him.

That is, until the silence was broken by Erza, who was still on the phone.

'I said _this is not an animal shelter_! _No,_ we don't sell burgers – _Ugh_!'

Her statement was promptly followed by the sound of a phone being slammed against the table.

Then they both burst out laughing. The tense atmosphere vanished; the conversation forgotten as the couple laughed their worries away.

He soon realized that he never got to say sorry. She'd forgiven him without blinking an eye. She was an angel with a glass heart that was already broken once.

And he swore that he would never let her heart get broken again.

* * *

So...what do you think? I know it's pretty confusing with Lucy's past and stuff but all will be revealed soon. ;) By the way, I'll try my best to update as soon as possible during the holidays, since I will be pretty busy as soon as school starts in January.

Just to clear a few things up : When Lucy was eight, a crime involving her and her mother, happened. Her mother died in this incident and Lucy's dad - Jude - tried to cover up this crime, since Lucy happened to be a big part of how Layla died. And so, Jude was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death. You'll find out the rest soon. :)

Feel free to leave a review! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 2

*ANNOUNCEMENT* [30/12/16] This is the edited version of Mercy. I have decided to continue this story after much thought, so I hope you'll all forgive me for the long wait. Thank you for your support all this time. *ANNOUNCEMENT*

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...Chapter 2 of emMercy/em! A shout-out to all the people who faved/followed my story, thanks for your support! :) And to Fanfic Lover, Guest, mikitey and skelekc who reviewed my story, thank you guys sooo much. Your reviews give me motivation to keep updating as soon as possible. XD Enjoy!

 _Fanfic Lover - Well, actually, it's something I read about in Jodi Picoult's novel /emMercy emand thought that it would be a good touch to the prologue. And thanks for your review, it's great to see that you enjoyed it. I hope this chapter won't disappoint! :)_

 _Guest - Thanks! Hopefully you'll like the future chapters too. ;)_

 _mikitey - In case you didn't see the message I sent you, you can check out the previous chapter. There's an author's note at the end regarding the bits and pieces of Lucy's past. :)_

 _Disclaimer : I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to the amazing Hiro Mashima. The plot of this story is also based on Jodi Picoult's novel, Mercy._

 _Chapter 2_

The woman stood behind the counter of the flower shop with her hands flying over a mix a fan palm, angel wings, bells of Ireland, gaultheria, oats and milkweed. Cuttings carpeted the black and white tiles of the floor. For a moment, Lucy stood shocked in the doorway of her own store, watching a stranger do her job. Then, she focused on the arrangement to the right of the cash register.

Glancing back at the woman, who was still feverishly trimming the arrangement, Lucy took a step forward, and the woman jumped, but did not turn around. 'You're in my place,' Lucy said, with a small smile. It was always nice to see someone so talented work with flowers. It gives her a chance to see things from other florists' perspectives.

The woman spoke hesitantly. 'Well, then…I'll move. If that's what you want.' The wariness in her tone made Lucy wary of the new-comer. It reminded her of someone…someone from her long forgotten past.

Suddenly turning around to face her, the lady raised her head to meet Lucy's gaze. Lucy swore she saw those sapphire blue eyes somewhere. But, that person can't possibly be here, right? After all, she's all the way in Edolas and –

Wait a second; was that white hair she saw, peeking out of the woman's hat? _No_ …it can't possibly -

'Lisanna?' she gasped.

Confused, the woman asked, 'Who's Lisanna?'

Letting a small breath of air that she didn't realize she was holding, Lucy walked up to the counter, grazing her palms across the soft greenery of the arrangement. She didn't notice how the stranger stiffened when Lisanna's name was brought up. 'I thought you might be looking for an assistant,' the woman – who was _not_ Lisanna, _not at all_ , she reassured herself – said. She held out her hand, which was calloused at the fingers from the florist's wire and trembling slightly. 'My name's Annalisa Dreyar.'

Lucy's eyebrows quirked in curiosity as she shook Annalisa's trembling hand. Hmm, her first name did sound similar to Lisanna's… No, no no _no_. What was she even scared of? Even if it is Lisanna, what did she have to worry about?

It's not like she came back to steal something from her, right? _Right_.

Smiling brightly albeit slightly skeptically, Lucy said, 'I don't remember putting up a sign for assistants-' Annalisa visibly flinched. '-but I'll make an exception. It's nearing Christmas and I would kick myself if I let someone as talented as you slip away.

'Welcome to the family then, Annalisa!' Not noticing Annalisa's sigh of relief, Lucy propped her elbows onto the counter, looking expectantly at her. It wasn't often that someone as good as Annalisa walked through the door; and hell no, was Lucy going to let her walk out that door before learning a good thing or two from her.

As if she knew that Lucy was equivocating, Annalisa suddenly reached down for her knapsack and pulled out a carefully wrapped package, which she began to unwind. Lucy found herself looking at an exquisitely twisted bonsai tree; miniature, gnarled, ancient.

'Lovely,' Lucy breathed. 'Absolutely lovely.'

Annalisa shrugged, but her eyes were shining. 'This is my specialty. They remind me of those babies you see sometimes, the ones with the tiny little faces that look like they know all the wisdom of the world.'

 _The wisdom of the world_. Lucy looked up at Annalisa. She grinned.

* * *

Walking back to the motel she was currently spending the night in, Annalisa sighed. Everything went well for now. Hopefully it would remain that way for a long time. Hearing her cell phone ringing, Annalisa quickly dug through her purse for it.

'Hello?'

' _Where are you?_ ' the caller hissed, ' _Bixlow's been waiting for four hours already. We all have! Elfman's this close to breaking down and calling the police!_ '

'Um, I'm, well…' taking a deep breath, Annalisa answered, 'I'm in Magnolia.'

' _What?!_ ' Annalisa winced and held her phone away from her ear. ' _I've heard of runaway brides, but this is ridiculous! You're practically all the way across the continent! Ohh, wait till you_ -'

'I'm not coming back, sis. I just can't.'

The line went quiet.

' _Why?_ ' It wasn't a question; it sounded more like a dare – daring her to say those words out loud.

'I'm still in love with him.'

 _'Wait_ , _what_? _Lisanna_!- ' She promptly hung up.

She looked at her feet. Ha, who did she think she was? Running away from her own wedding and catching the first flight to Magnolia just so she can see _him_? It was sounding more and more ridiculous, even to her.

Well, she's come this far. She's got nothing to lose. No one in town knows who she is, heck, even Lucy couldn't recognize her. But even though that's what she wanted- the freedom of anonymity - she couldn't help but feel...sad, somehow. After years of bullying the poor blonde - Lisanna internally winced at the cruelty she had imposed upon Lucy, she was quite the bitch back then - the white-haired female felt a small pang in her heart when Lucy simply brushed Lisanna's existence off like it was nothing. It was like Lisanna Strauss never mattered.

Even at the local diner that's been in Magnolia for decades, Lisanna felt as though she didn't belong. She had smiled at Macao and Wakaba, the two owners of the diner, but only received matching looks of confusion in return. Sure, they greeted her warmly, but they seemed...distant. It was as though they've seen her somewhere but couldn't recall exactly where.

Her heart had instantly plummeted as she realized that nobody recognized her. When she had entered Lucy's flower shop, she thought that at least one person in the entire town would remember her. Maybe Lucy could fill her in about everything's that happened.

Lucy was a sweet girl in the past, growing up with the picture perfect family and getting consistent straight A's without breaking a sweat. Seventeen-year-old Lisanna hated her; she hated how pretty the blonde was without trying; she hated how Lucy Heartfilia lived her life the way she wanted and not having decisions forced upon her; she hated the freedom Lucy had.

As she toyed with the flowers that afternoon, she had hoped to reconcile with the blonde author. It would be nice to be able to start afresh with Lucy

Then it hit her.

 _Starting afresh._

 _A new life._

 _A new identity._

 _Freedom._

And suddenly, Lisanna felt like flying. Here was her chance to start anew. To begin a new life with a new identity - she would get to have that freedom she had dreamed of since young. And Natsu...she would be able to see him and tell him she was wrong to have left him; so _so_ wrong. She had been scared of commitment, she would say, but now, she was even more scared of being without him. Bixlow was fun and nice and kind... _but he wasn't Natsu_.

Lisanna strutted towards her motel with a new-found confidence. She knew what she was supposed to do. Now all that's left to do is to find her ex-boyfriend and re-ignite the sparks.

'Natsu Dragneel,' she smiled. 'I'm coming back for good.'


	4. Chapter 3

Hey guys! I'm finally back! I'm so sorry for making you all wait, but I hope this chapter's worth it! Once again, a big thank you to all the people who faved/followed/reviewed my stories! And yes, you read that right - stories, as in plural. XD Yep, for those who haven't checked out my other fic, here's a heads-up. I've written a Fairy Tail Nalu one-shot called Appendicitis. So if you're interested, please try it out and tell me what you think! Okay, this author's note is getting a tad long... so without further ado, I present to you - Chapter 3 of Mercy.

 _perseus2760_ \- Well, I wouldn't say that Lisanna's the bad guy... yet, since I'm trying to potray her as a neutral character. But, do check your PM, I may or may not have given you a little spoiler. ;)

 _Fanfic Lover & JenCakeLover_ \- Thank you so much for the positive feedback! I hope this chapter will live up to your expectations. :)

 _lucy dragneel550_ \- Yes, this story is a confirmed Nalu. But, there will be some side pairings, like Jerza and Gale. The other pairings shall remain a secret for now. ;)

 _Typeyournamehere_ \- Me too! But don't judge Natsu too fast, eh? Who knows what's going on in that thick skull of his. XD And thanks for giving me the push I needed to continue this story. :)

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Fairy Tail. It belongs to Hiro Mashima. A few parts of this story are also based on Jodi Picoult's novel - Mercy. Do check out her books - I assure you they are worth reading. :)**

 _Chapter 3_

Erza, who had a talent for eavesdropping, told Natsu that Lucy's greatest rival in the publishing industry – Sorano Aguria – has recently published a book on the image of hell. 'You know, chief, it's not like it used to be,' she said, tracing the edge of her coffee cup. Her question invited a quirk of Natsu's eyebrows. 'Hell, I mean. No more fire and brimstone and all.'

Natsu let out a bark of laughter. 'Don't tell Father Purehito; he's looking forward to that stuff.'

Erza smiled at Natsu. 'Sorano says that instead of physical pain, it's more mental. Like, you know, if you marry this gorgeous guy only to find out in hell that he really married you for your money.'

'I wouldn't worry,' Natsu said. 'I don't pay you nearly enough.'

She smirked. 'And suppose that in order to marry this hunk; you gave up someone who was really in love with you. The pain you'd feel knowing you picked the wrong guy is supposedly so devastatingly heart-wrenching that it'll feel like hell.' Erza dramatically said, flailing her arms wide to emphasize her point. But immediately scrunching up her nose afterwards, she continued, 'Not that I can see how Sorano Aguria would know what hell is like at all.'

Natsu's full-time sergeant, Gray Fullbuster, stuck his head into the office. 'You forget, Erza that Sorano used to date the chief.' He reminded, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Natsu.

Natsu threw a stack of mail at him. 'It was a one-time fling. And don't you have anything better to do?'

'That depends,' Gray replied, grinning. 'You taking me out to lunch?'

'No,' Natsu said. 'I'm taking Lucy out.' He surprised himself; this wasn't something they planned when she stopped by earlier, but he knew she'd love spending an hour with him. He pulled on his heavy blue coat and locked his office door behind him.

'If the town comes under siege,' he said to Erza, 'you know where I'll be.'

* * *

At the flower shop, Lucy was absolutely loving Annalisa's creative way of arranging flowers. She was right to let Annalisa help out; that girl was a wonder with flowers. Her fingers seemed to fly from one flower arrangement to another. Her style of arranging was also like nothing Lucy has seen before.

Lucy smiled from her place at the counter. Although Annalisa spoke little and had a weird habit of wearing large hats that covered her face, she was nice enough. Apparently, Annalisa had read one of Lucy's books before and was a huge fan. So that itself was enough reason for Lucy to like her.

Who wouldn't?

She considered inviting Annalisa to dinner with her and Natsu, seeing as her new assistant was still new around town. Maybe she would invite some of their friends too. It's always more fun with everyone there, after all. Plus, it would give Annalisa a chance to meet some new people.

Lucy stood up and strode towards Annalisa's workbench. 'Annalisa?' she asked, 'Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?'

'Lisa.' Annalisa muttered. Her hands were flying around the table, fixing the flower arrangement for a customer's dinner party with the agility and grace of a hummingbird.

Confused, Lucy asked, 'I beg your pardon?'

'Call me Lisa,' she replied, stilling her hands for a moment and tilting her head to look at her employer. 'Annalisa is a mouthful.'

Lucy smiled brightly and chirped enthusiastically, 'Well then. Lisa it is! So, would you like to join my husband and I for dinner tonight?'

Lisa pondered over the thought for a moment before hesitantly replying with a smile, 'If it's not too much trouble, I would love to.'

'So, what type of foods do you like?' Lucy asked, wanting to make something that her guest would love.

'Chocolate,' Lisa answered without hesitating. Only after hearing Lucy's laugh, she realized that Lucy was asking what she would like for _dinner_. Immediately blushing, she said, 'I mean I love Italian food. And Chinese food. But I usually eat take-out and not the gourmet type so I don't really know. Oh, and I'm not allergic to anything, so no worries.' _Damn it girl, you're rambling!_ Lisa mentally slapped herself.

But Lucy's smile just got wider and wider with every word that spilled out of her mouth. Hearing Lisa talk somehow reminded her of herself – as in the old Lucy that would keep on babbling when she got nervous. It was very cute and endearing. Her thoughts then flew to her friends. They were quite the odd bunch. They were loud and boisterous and very talkative. But they never failed to make Lucy laugh.

Glancing back at Lisa, who had continued arranging a new batch of flowers; Lucy walked over to Lisa's workbench and took the remaining flowers that needed to be sorted to her own workbench. Lisa looked up in surprise. Lucy smiled and motioned her to continue her work. Lisa nodded and bent her head down again, but not before returning Lucy's smile with one of her own.

 _I think we will get along very well indeed._

* * *

Walking down the half block to Lucy's flower shop, he started to smile. He'd step into the store and tell her he was looking for a bouquet, dahlias and lilies in her favorite colors – pink and yellow. He'd say it was for someone special and she'd play along and give him a give card and he'd write, _What are you doing for the rest of your life?_

Humming, Natsu unconsciously played back to their first meeting. He remembered it as clear as day.

It happened on the day of his break-up. The day he was dumped by the woman he had loved and been with for five years. Oh, he'd been through _tons_ of break-ups, but none of those relationships were _real_ , unlike the one he and Lisanna were in. Plus, he was usually the one dumping the girl – not the other way round.

But that wasn't the case, the thing that hurt him the most was that he was preparing to _propose_ to her that very night. Heck, he'd even rented a small restaurant by the beach _and_ learned how to play the guitar (and he was _Natsu_ for god's sake, the guy who could barely last five minutes into a romance movie) for the big event.

He remembered leading Lisanna to their candle-lit table; he remembered feeling butterflies fluttering in his stomach; he remembered how fidgety and uncomfortable Lisanna was. But most of all, he remembered the pain he felt after her rejection. And by the time Lisanna had broken the news to him about how it wasn't _'working out'_ ; he suddenly had the urge to get hit by a car so he could get amnesia and _justforgeteverythingabouthergoddamnit._

And as if it wasn't enough already, she even stated that she'll be moving to Edolas and hoped that he would move on. But how could he? How could he ever forget the feeling he got every time she smiled and laughed, and just _move on_?

After that, she just turned tail and left, unknowingly leaving with half of his heart. She left him all alone, sitting there surrounding by candles that were slowly burning out… dying – just like his heart. He didn't remember how long he sat there. But when he finally stood up and walked away, the candles had all but extinguished.

When he had started up the engine, he realized that there in the passenger seat – _her seat_ – was the bouquet of flowers he had specially bought for her. He'd given it to her earlier, when he picked her up.

He glared at it, suddenly feeling the need to get rid of everything that would remind him of her. And so he drove. He drove home and took all the memorabilia that he'd collected since their relationship started and walked to the nearest garbage disposal.

As he chucked the memorabilia one by one, he heard a girl gasp. He turned around, surprised and slightly startled, only to be met by a pair of chocolate brown eyes. He stared at her, realizing a moment too late that he was currently holding on to his girlfriend's – no, _ex_ -girlfriend's – spare clothes (and underwear), next to a garbage bin, in the middle of the godforsaken night like some sort of freak. Immediately both he and the blonde girl blushed.

The blonde girl walked forward and bent down, grabbing some of the memorabilia that he hadn't thrown yet. He looked at her, puzzled. What surprised him was the smile that she gave him…it was as if she knew. He had opened his mouth to say that it wasn't what it seemed, but she was quicker.

'She must have been pretty stupid, huh.'

Natsu had laughed. He couldn't fathom how this girl managed to cheer him up do easily. After throwing the rest of the garbage, she introduced herself and invited him over to her house, which was only a few blocks away from his place, and treated him to ice-cream (mint-chocolate – which was his _favorite_ )and jalapeno chips (also his favorite) and horror movies (which _also_ happened to be his favorite. _Man, is this woman his soul mate or what?_ ). By the end of the night, they were talking and laughing as though they'd known each other for years.

He'd even asked himself during his post-break-up-slash-impromptu-celebration why couldn't he have fallen for _her_ instead? What did he _ever_ see in his ex, besides the pretty face and nice body? And most importantly, how could he have never noticed that this amazing and wonderful woman has been _right there_ , two blocks away, his entire life?

Though Natsu would never admit it, he was kind of – okay, _really_ – disappointed when he was about to leave the next morning. He had already known since the moment she walked into his life, that she was going to walk out of it just as easily. Of course, he felt weird for thinking like that, seeing how he's had tons of one night stands (although this wasn't _anything_ like that) and has never felt that way before.

Somehow, this girl – this Lucy – was different. The girl with the bunny pajamas who made him want to laugh and cry and hold her at the same time, had sauntered into his life and was preparing to leave him as suddenly as she came. She'd unknowingly mended what was left of his heart in just one night…the best night of his life.

After bidding her farewell, he looked at her one more time and savored the last, fleeting moments of their fateful encounter. _Fateful encounter_. That was all it was – nothing more. And Natsu's heart started to break once again as he smiled at her and prepared to walk out of the door – _and out of her life_.

That is, until her voice called out to him, causing him to pause and turn around. His hopes immediately skyrocketed.

'I'm preparing sweet and spicy chicken wings tonight!'

And she promptly slammed the door after that.

He forgot what happened after that, but Gray said that whenever Lucy's name was mentioned, Natsu's face would turn red and he would start smiling like an idiot. _Yeah, it sounds real sweet when you put it like that, Gray._

It was a no-brainer that the dense duo would get together after 3 years of being 'friends'. But according to the She-Devil(*cough* Erza *cough*), they could have been together _long_ before that if they weren't _oh so determined_ to stay in the friend-zone. A year after being in a steady relationship, he had finally gotten the guts to propose to Lucy. She said yes and they were married a few months later.

His friends always said that they had the perfect relationship – trust, friendship, romance…with the occasional arguments, of course. But Lucy being Lucy, would try to end the argument and lighten up the post-argument atmosphere; and Natsu being Natsu, would end up buying tons of flowers, from his wife's flower shop of course ( _god forbid_ if one day the situation was so dire as for him to buy flowers from her competitor's flower shop) to get on his wife's good side again. Other than that, they rarely fought… _unless_ it was over the last jalapeno chip. _Then_ , it was _war_.

Oh, and did he mention that they had the perfect relationship?

Natsu chuckled as he turned the corner that would lead to his wife's flower shop. Ah, despite how ridiculous he may sound, he always enjoyed thinking of his wife. A bright smile made its way across his face as he neared the flower shop. His Luce was truly one of a kind – she was unpredictable and quirky; being by her side was never boring.

Grinning brightly, he opened the door of the flower shop and came face-to-face with a stranger. Lucy's name died on his lips as he stared at the tangle of platinum blond – nearly white – hair that were hidden under her hat, the swollen curve of her lip, the blush that coated her cheeks. She was not beautiful; she was not Lucy. But her face was… familiar… and foreign at the same time. It was like déjà vu.

As he grasped the hand she extended in greeting, he realized that her eyes were sapphire-blue, the shade that he'd dreamed as the Bay of Edolas; the shade that haunted his dreams at night. Those eyes…he could still see them staring at him in mock pity as he was rejected.

 _'Lisanna?'_

* * *

Phew! That was longer than I expected! Hopefully you all enjoy reading it! If you don't, please leave a review or PM me about the parts you dislike - constructive criticism is always appreciated! (Of course, a few nice reviews won't hurt either. ;) )

Please leave a review! It means the world to me. :)

Countdown 5 days till Christmas! I may post a few Christmas one-shots until then, so keep an eye out for them. Clary out.


	5. Chapter 4

*ANNOUNCEMENT* [31/12/16] I have finished rewriting the current chapters. I have made a lot of changes to the story, grammatical and plot-wise. **Please reread the previous chapters to catch up on some of the parts I've changed.** I am super sorry for this inconvenience but I hope you'll enjoy the differences I've made in the personalities of the characters, especially Lisanna. I realized how biased I was portraying her so I'm trying to fix that. Thank you for sticking with me and for all your wonderful reviews! *ANNOUNCEMENT*

Hi everyone. I'm back! I know this is really late but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Things have been hectic lately but here's Chapter 4 of Mercy! Thanks again to all the amazing people who followed/faved/reviewed this story. You guys are my inspiration to keep writing! :)

 _Fanfic Lover_ \- _Thanks for reviewing! I hope I updated soon enough XD Hopefully this chapter is as good as the others!_

 _FoxyLocky4509 & WisdomWarrior45_ \- _Let's wait and see, eh? The build-up of this story is going to go quite slowly and might be a little draggy and it'll seem like he's going to cheat at times, but it's the ending that counts, so do be patient. :) I will try my best to update as fast as possible. But the quality might not be as good as I'd like it to be so I'll try my best! Btw, this story is definitely Nalu. It will start and end with Nalu. This I promise. :)_

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Fairy Tail whatsoever. It belongs to Hiro Mashima. The plot of this story is also kind of based on Jodi Picoult's Mercy.**

* * *

 _Chapter 4_

'Lisanna?'

The white-haired girl stiffened as she heard the familiar tenor of his voice. She turned around to look at the pink-haired officer staring wide-eyed at her as he stood in between the rows of flowers. Her breath hitched as she took in the sight before her. A blush steadily made its way to her ears as she realized she was staring.

He had grown so much, she noted, the air of confidence he exuded only added to his ever-attractive features. His jaw seemed more defined and his eyes were brighter than she last remembered. She tried not to look at the obvious muscles straining against the tightness of his blue suit. The person in front of her was no boy, anymore. He had grown and matured into a man every girl's parents would have desired to have as a son-in-law.

'Lisanna,' Natsu repeated, his words sounding like a slur to her as her brain slowly took everything in. She straightened and recomposed herself. 'Is that really you?'

Lisanna timidly nodded, unsure of what to do. She wanted to laugh and cry and leap into his arms because after so many years, she was finally here. He was finally here with her and she couldn't be happier.

But as the memories of their last meeting flooded her mind, she realized that it was probably a mistake to have admitted that she was Lisanna instead of sticking to her original plan. She winced as a frown replaced Natsu's usual, easy smile. Dammit, this was not -

'Wow! It's been, what, six years?' Natsu said, a full-blown grin on his face as he reached out to pull the shocked girl into a hug. She froze for a moment before melting into his familiar embracr. The white-haired girl inhaled his musky, pine-scented cologne and sighed happily. Lisanna felt a small smile growing on her own face as she curled her arms around his torso. Ah, she'd missed this so much, she's missed _them_ so much. His warmth and his voice...everything just felt so right.

She belonged here. In his arms.

His comforting warmth left her as abruptly as it came and she suddenly felt too cold when Natsu pulled back. She could feel the calluses on his palms as they sat upon her shoulders. She blushed under Natsu's searching gaze. 'How've you been, Lisa?' Natsu asked, a friendly smile on his face as he inspected his old friend.

'I-I've been good,' she stuttered, her hand reaching up to tuck away a stray strand of hair. She didn't notice how the officer's onyx eyes had glazed over in the most subtle way. 'I -um- came here a few days ago and I met L-'

She jumped when the sound of the bells rang in the quiet expanse of the shop, startling both Natsu and her. She let out a breath of relief as she realized that it was probably just a customer. But why should she be relieved that its just a customer? She did no wrong. What everyone would have seen was a young woman catching up with her old friend. Right?

As the sound of footsteps approached the counter, both of them turned to see who the customer was.

Only it was no customer.

The brightest grin Lisanna has ever seen was plastered on his face and she watched as his eyes lit up as Lucy walked into the shop. Her face fell as he mumbled a quick 'catch up with you later' and rushed to greet the blonde florist. She felt a coil of envy unfurl in the pits of her stomach.

 _Why was he ignoring her in favor of a blonde he barely even noticed in high school?_

(He didn't even look at her when he said goodbye.)

Natsu grinned at the sight of his favorite blonde. His wife entered the flower shop, looking beautiful as always despite her messy, windblown hair and flustered self. She headed towards the counter, not noticing her husband or her assistant standing in between the rows of flowers. She was carrying a huge basket of flowers and equipment for their latest arrangement and was currently wondering where the _hell_ her lovely assistant was when she _needed_ her?

She doesn't know how she managed to juggle everything for as long as she did, but what Lucy does know is that if she doesn't reach the counter in the next five seconds, she was bound to trip over her own feet and fall flat on her face. Seriously, whoever said clumsiness wasn't terminal has never met Lucy Heartfilia, because she was _the_ most accident-prone woman on Earthland. But that wouldn't do now, considering her current ' _situation_ ', as Dr Porlyusica so blatantly puts it. Lucy gritted her teeth and shifted the basket from one arm to the other while trying to prevent the precariously balanced equipment from falling.

Natsu's eyes softened as he followed his wife to the counter. He chuckled inwardly as she tripped and dropped the basket, causing some of the flowers to fall onto the floor. Natsu tried to contain his laughter when Lucy swore loudly before picking everything up all while cursing her own clumsiness. His so-called 'Lucy smile'(the smile he reserves _only_ for the said blonde)made its way to his lips when he went up to his wife, who was still oblivious to the officer's presence.

Lucy bent over the counter as she rearranged the flowers she had ordered whilst doing a mental tally to confirm their number. She was so preoccupied with her multi-tasking that she didn't heart her husband's footsteps. Natsu crept up to her and hugged her from behind, nuzzling his face into her hair and causing her to let out a surprised yelp. She got over her initial shock and leaned into her husband's embrace, taking comfort in his strong, tanned arms.

She giggled as Natsu tightened his hold on her. He was always so protective (not to mention possessive) of her, even when she wasn't in trouble. The blonde florist didn't really mind. She loved the way they let body language speak for them in place of words. It showed how deeply in tune they were with one another. Plus, Natsu's cuddles were the best. She wondered distractedly if he would hug his children like how he hugged her, or if he had a different type of hug for different people.

 _He would be a wonderful father._ A small part of her whispered.

 _(She didn't know how he only hugged_ her _so tightly, with his palms on her mid-back, his fingers relaxed yet firm on her skin, his face buried in the crook of her neck, where he could feel her pulse against his lips, reassuring him that she won't ever leave; reminding him of the one constant in his life.)_

'Hey,' she whispered, her hand reaching behind her to stroke his soft pink locks. He moaned at her touch, eliciting a barely audible laugh from the blonde, the vibrations of her laugh lighting his face up instantly.

The couple weren't aware of the tears brimming in a certain white-haired girl's eyes or the sound of a heart cracking.

'Hey yourself,' he mumbled into her hair. She could feel his grin against her blond strands.

Lucy turned around to face him, his arms sliding down to rest firmly around her slender waist.

'So, what brings you here?' she asked, placing her hands on her hip. A delicate eyebrow was raised in question.

Natsu chuckled. 'Aw, I can't see my own wife now?'

Lucy smiled and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek in affection. He froze in his spot; flashbacks of his past with his ex resurfacing. And all of a sudden, he couldn't remember where Lisanna ended and Lucy began. He could feel his vivid memories with Lucy blur and mash with his time with Lisanna, blending and _blending_ into one big fat blob. Natsu struggled to keep his calm. It was his first attack in _years_ , they had stopped ever since he fell completely, totally and helplessly in love with Lucy.

 _So what triggered it again after all this time?_

Looking into his wife's soulful, dark brown eyes, he pushed those thoughts aside, brushing it off as a side effect from his shock over Lisanna's unannounced arrival. An image of his ex popped up in his mind and he quickly forced it back. He would talk to Lisanna later. Today, he reminded himself, was about him and the beautiful, loving, _perfect_ woman in his arms.

Luckily, his wife didn't notice his earlier stiffness. He internally let out a breath of relief. (He was never that good at acting, and he never tried. From his experience in acting, he had deducted that acting was unhealthy, both emotionally and physically. _Thanks a lot, Erza.)_

He hated to make Lucy worry. She was always the most level-headed one out of all their friends but when it came to matters concerning Natsu and her adoptive family, she was an absolute demon. He remembered how fierce she was when she fought for her adoptive brother, Sting, during the adoption process. He had never seen his wife that enraged...but he couldn't deny that it was down-right sexy as hell when her eyes flared with barely contained anger.

(The sex they had that day was the most mind-blowing experience of his life. It was raw, hot, rough, and a hundred percent satisfying. The lovers both had the battle scars to prove just how intense their love-making had been. Even the very thought of that day sent blood down south...but that didn't mean he would piss his wife off intentionally. Nope.)

Lucy's voice snapped him out of his reverie. 'How long have you been here, Natsu?' She glanced around the shop, causing him to gulp. He probably shouldn't tell her that Lisanna was in her shop. It would definitely bring down her good mood, seeing how badly his ex had treated her back then.

'Not that long,' he shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. Lucy's eyes narrowed and he wondered if he seemed casual enough.

Okay, maybe Lucy isn't as gullible as he thought. 'A few minutes before you, I guess. Why?' He admitted, hoping that Lisanna had left. Sweat started to form at the back of his neck. _Please don't tell me she's using Erza's interrogation technique._

Having Lucy meet Lisanna on the very anniversary of the day Natsu first met her would be catastrophic, he reasoned, those two are better kept apart. Maybe it was a good thing that she didn't know Lisanna was in town yet. After all, Natsu didn't want his wife worrying or complaining about her high school tormentor all night, especially when it was supposed to be _their_ night together.

Lucy's wandering gaze snapped back to him and she said, 'I've hired an assistant a few days ago, but she's not here. Do you happen to see anyone in here?'

 _Oh._ Letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, Natsu answered, 'No, I don't think so.' Was there anyone aside from him and the white-haired girl in the shop before she came in? Natsu tried to remember seeing anyone else but he was positive he didn't spot any stranger standing behind the counter or crouching behind the racks of flowers. He shook his head, confirming his previous statement. 'Nope, I pretty sure I didn't see anyone at all.'

Lucy's shoulders dropped in disappointment. 'That's too bad. I had hoped she could – '

'I'm here!' a voice interrupted.

It was comical how Lucy brightened up immediately. Natsu stifled a laugh. 'Should I be jealous that you're _that_ happy to see someone other than your loving ol' husband?' he joked.

Lucy winked at him sideways. 'I'll let you decide that yourself, huh?' Then, she turned towards the source of the voice and called out, 'Lisa? You there? I need your help with something!'

To say that Natsu had taken over Gray's title of Ice Princess was an understatement. Natsu felt as though his mother, Erza _and_ Scary Lucy were having their time of the month and he'd done something to upset _all_ of them.

 _Lisa? Why would_ Lucy _of all people know her by_ that _nickname? What the hell is going on here?_

Lisanna walked out from the racks and walked towards Lucy. She flinched a little when she saw Natsu by her side but said nothing nonetheless.

Lucy didn't notice the tension between the two. She smiled at Lisanna and said, 'Natsu, I'd like you to meet Annalisa Dreyar. She's my new assistant.'

Natsu was ten seconds from fainting. He'd dealt with criminals that gave adults nightmares and been in multiple life-threatening situations but _this_ was _nothing_ compared to that. Since when did Lisanna change both her first and last name? Oh _fuck_ , please don't tell him that Lucy has no idea who her own assistant is _._

'And Lisa? This is my husband, Natsu!'

Yep, she has no idea who her assistant is. Screw his life.

* * *

I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I feel as though I messed it up a bit. I'm really sorry if I've let you guys down with this chapter. I promise to do better the next chapter!

Please leave a review about how I could've written it, or how I could improve. Thanks! :)

 **[31/12/16] FOR THOSE WHO CAUGHT THE HINTS I THREW INTO THE REWRITTEN CHAPTERS, LET'S KEEP THE REVIEWS SPOILER-FREE, YEAH? XD BUT DO LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKED THE SUBTLE CHANGES I'VE MADE. :)**


	6. AUTHOR'S NOTE

*5/3/2017*

ANNOUNCEMENT - I will be taking a short term hiatus for all my stories from today onward, 'cause I'm having my exams and I'll be leaving for a conference in S'pore soon. And after that, there's debate comps and camps and club meetings that I have to organise and I'm running myself ragged with all the things I have to deal with.

I am super sorry for making you guys wait so long for my updates, but I love you all even more for being patient and for bearing with me and my messed up priorities. 3

I may post a few drabbles or one-shots when I feel a sudden burst of inspiration. You guys won't kill me in my sleep for making you wait, right? RIGHT?


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